A FEW TIPS FOR PROVING YOU'RE NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY FACE

We are referring to Ugliness As Validity -- a Hollywood-born practice illustrated by the ongoing tidal wave of glamorous actresses who turn into uglies to prove their talent and self-worth.

The look-bad-to-look-good trend began in the late '60s with a bloated and besmudged Elizabeth Taylor in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? More recently, there was the black-and-bruised Farrah Fawcett in The Burning Bed. And plainly unwashed Sally Field in Places in the Heart.

Or consider Jane Fonda, scrawnily attired in ill-fitting Appalachian Chic for The Dollmaker. Or disease-riddled and fading-fast Ann-Margret in Who'll Love My Children? Chisel-cheeked Faye Dunaway hits her unglamorous bottom in Barfly. And Meryl Streep downplays her classic beauty as a bedraggled bag lady in the alcoholic epic Ironweed.

Think about it. Maybe you're not being taken seriously in your personal or professional life. Try this: Stop that infernal approval-seeking. Don't waste time trying to look beautiful. It don't get no respect. Instead, try looking like a street urchin. It has worked for the above-mentioned actresses. It might just work for you.

Of course, we realize that letting yourself go means letting go of years of ingrained beautifying behavior. So we've illustrated the trend here with a Backwards Makeover. And we've included some simple steps to make you look as if you're taking out the trash instead of bringing home the bacon. But be vigilant about your validity. If you're not careful, you could end up looking even better than before! Here's what to do.

-- Do not wash your face. Ever. But if you do, be sure the soap is heavily fatted to clog your pores and further aggravate acne. Never moisturize!

-- Only wash your hair once a week. And use a harsh dish soap to help dry out split ends. Never condition your hair, unless it's with mayonnaise or Crisco.

-- Eat lots of fried foods, chocolate and heavily marbled meat. It also helps if you drink half a quart of your favorite alcoholic beverage each day.

-- Avoid drinking pure water. Water has a nasty tendency of flushing out impurities and making skin look clear and healthy. Throw out your vitamins. Daily consumption of B-complex, A, C and E make you look and feel good.

-- Don't brush your teeth. Feel the fur. Toss out your dental floss.

-- Skip foundation makeup. This stuff evens out skin tones, hides blemishes and dark circles and makes you look downright pretty. And avoid blusher as it can give a youthful glow. Work on developing a mortician's pallor.

-- Try not to laugh. Let a scowl be your umbrella. A miserable outlook on life will show on your face and make you look and feel horrible.

-- Don't use a sunscreen or wear a hat outdoors. Let your face burn and peel continually unprotected. It's amazing how fast sun can add untold years of "character lines."

-- Use dark brown shadow around your eyes. Smudge unevenly. Never get eight hours of sleep as it erases well-packed bags under your eyes. Don't thin your eyebrows. Let them grow bushy for that just-too-busy-to-gi ve-a-pluck attitude. Shun mascara. Even a single application will bring your eyes, every woman's best feature, into sharp focus.

-- Don't go near a hairdresser. They will try to cut your hair in a face- flattering style. It is, however, suggested that you cut your own locks once a year, with dull scissors, after consuming the required half-quart of alcoholic beverage.